The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-04-06

FRANCES u. WILLARD.

FRANCES n. WILLARD.
! Three questions constantly recur in tho
correspondence of tho five general officers,
and at the Minneapolis convention the other
I four delegated To me the responsibility of
replying through the Union Signal, which
will now try 90 do as follows:
| l. T." What does the word christian mean In
| the name of the w. O. Il. u"
IL means that the origin, auspices and
control of tho society arc christian, not 10y
any specific and arbitrary action, but in the
nature of the case. 1t means that the Bible
| is our chief cornerstone and that the chris
tian home, the christian school and the
christian church have been our nurseries, our
| training schools aud our military camps, as
| soldiers of the Cross. lt means that We have
as our supreme purpose and desire the build
| lug up of His kingdom i'll the earth whose
| sway means purity and peace and universal
| brotherhood But il does not mean creed
| test. Instead of this, il proposes a character
| test, viz that those who join us as honorary
| and working members (men coming under
| the first and women under the second head
shall be persons willing To ally themselves
with "A movement having such purpose AZ l
have described. If they choose Us we believe
IL will g safe for us To choose them, ana "as
a working hypothesis" this plan has been
grandly successful. The door of entrance To
our societies is not church letter, but the
pledge of total abstinence. After one is IN,
ne will find himself admitted to a temple of
worship where the Master of Assemblies
leads, listening to the music of hymns he
learned to love long years ago, and invited to
earnest ministries in home and church and
state, all based upon faith IN and obedience
toward Him "who went about doing good.
.. "What is the exact meaning of the w.
o. T. u. pledge?"
1t includes, by explicit statement, total
abstinence from all distilled drinks and from
every variety of wine, beer and cider. Some
pledges. by using only the general term IN
toxicating beverages" leave room for private
Interpretation in this regard; but our form
OF pledge does not. While there are several
ways OF wording it leach state and local
union exercising its own discretion In this
respect), there is uniformity throughout the
nation III this clear-cut definition relative To
the classes of drinks from which we are
totally to abstain. The form of the National
w. q. L. L. pledge recommended To all
others) is follows:
Il hereby promise, God helping Inc. to
abstain from all distilled, fermented and malt
liquors, including wine and cider, and to
use of and traffic III the same"
But many unions insert the words "as "A
beverage" while others specifically pledge
against any use of alcoholics as medicine
or In cooking. The foregoing National
pledge, adopted at Chicago III 1877, and the
most sharply defined that have ever Seen,
does away with any use OF alcoholics In any
way, at any time. This IL what sclence and
religion will bring the world to ere many
generations pass. We are simply holding
up what we believe to be the true standard.
But be II remembered that any local union liz
at liberty To insert the words "as beverage"
aud many do so, leaving to each member 5
Conscience the decision about the Use of IN
toxicauts as a medicine and i'll cooking. Our
local unions are, however, strongly 0drtsed
to adopt the stronger pledge.
3. "A difficulty or division has come up In
our ranks" about finance, rival leaders, poll
tics, any one of multitude of causes that
goes 10 prove once more the " hunanness of
the saints: will you advise Us what to do,
Or write letter that We can read to the
union?"
No, beloved. Your general officers eau
serve the interests, dear alike to your heart
aud theirs, III better ways than i'll meddlng
III local difficulties, of which they cannot get
All impartial knowledge aud III which their
interference would but complicate the stua
tlon. lou know as well as We do that " q
soft answer is the sovereign, because the
divine, method by which To turn away wrath.
The only method by which railway trains
can avoid running into each other Is for each
10 give the other the whole road. When
your antagonist comes against you, don't he
there, Z. t., give all the opportunity for critl-
clsm and reprOaches TO those who desire 10
offer them. Very likely they are merited in
which case acknowledge Il and ask frankly
Tor pardon. II they are not, try To explain
with perfect kindness. in any event, being
revlled, revie not again." That cold water
method Is warranted To put ont any kind OF
fire. Ninety in every hundred diff
cuItles among good people grow out OF a
misunderstanding; the angle of vision is
different III each; the perception of color is
less strong in some than III Others and some
are color-blind. But at heart they are all
good people. Take that for the ma ior prem
lse. and the conclusion will always make for
peace. We are yet "a long way from meeting
the celestial test: by this shall all men
know that We are My disciples, because We
love one another But let Us struggle on To
meet 1t, with hearts in which the central
movement Is prayer to God and consequent
good will toward our neighbor. Dear, mys-
tIcal "neIghbOr, SO like Us III self-love, in
desire to succeed, in temptation TO sin Be
cause we are sorry for ourselves, numbered
and clogged we are with earthly dross. can
we not be sorry for him, and show little OF
of that indulgence toward him which is a
quantity so constant in our treatment of
ourselves!
The Brooklyn HdgaziHe, hitherto CON